Guest Blog: Putting "Someday" on the Calendar
Ever said "I'll get to 'that' someday" but someday never came.
Turns out, "Someday" isn't on the calendar anywhere.
I had to put it on the calendar.
QUICK BACKSTORY
One thing Christian and I realized recently is since we're in the business of creating health breakthroughs, that means, among other things:
We have to help people clarify the important over the urgent--there's always more you could do than you have time for, and Since change doesn't happen overnight, we have to help clients figure out when and how to sequentially focus on the next important health skills/priorities...without overwhelming our clients.
While human physiology and human nature are timeless (thank goodness), the nuances of each person's situation and (ahem) quirks, means each person needs a personalized strategy. The strategy (not the tactics) is where the breakthroughs happen.
WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH SOURDOUGH BREAD?
Turn out a lot actually.
For years I've wanted to learn how to bake my own sourdough bread--as part of a weekly rhythm for my family. But for whatever reason, I chalked up to this huge commitment, shrouded in mystery and complexity.
Logically, I know people have been baking bread for centuries, and the reality is I am in my kitchen making something every day, but when it came to this additional task, that elusive "someday" always found a reason to be delayed.
Then, something clicked for me (I'll tell you about that in a second), and I realized it was time to put sourdough on the calendar.
ALL THIS GOT ME THINKING ABOUT...TIMING
One thing I love about my husband is that he's always tinkering with our program. He's constantly asking himself "How can we create better outcomes?"
As Christian has been thinking through some of the lessons from the last few runs of our Breakthrough Weight Loss program, he is turning his creative thinking toward dealing with the realities, excuses, and bandwidth unique to each person.
The tactics of what to do to become healthier (i.e. make your own sourdough) are usually a lot less complicated than the nuances of someone's skills, situation, and mindset.
THE POWER OF TRADE-OFFS
It occurred to me that when it comes to baking bread, I really don't have a desire problem, I have a trade-offs problems, or maybe better stated, a bandwidth problem.
There are always other things I could be doing, and babysitting a sourdough starter for five days in a row (without a guarantee I'll be successful), along with the additional task of making and baking the bread weekly forced me to think hard about where it would fit.
HOW DID SOURDOUGH MAKE IT ON THE CALENDAR?
What clicked for me is this: To put, learning-to-make-sourdough on my calendar, I had about three ways to make it happen. I could:
Give myself permission to take something off calendar (my least favorite). Take a hard look at how I steward my time, and clarify if there are time opportunities I am wasting (ouch).Reflect on my emotional bandwidth around the times I am already in the kitchen and ask myself if the extra effort just feels like too much, or if it actually is too much.
TURNS OUT #3 WAS THE CLINCHER...
It has taken me years to develop the discipline of meal planning and a solid dinner/kitchen routine, and now that I have it down (and even find it enjoyable), I genuinely believe this additional task won't break me!
And because I know accountability makes most new efforts better, I am walking through this endeavor on Facebook Live this week. I'll be on there between 4:00 to 5:00 everyday showing you my progress and telling you want I'm learning.
I got started yesterday. Check it out below.
Hope you can join me!
Here's to you putting your own version of "make sourdough bread" on the schedule,
Nina...and Christian
PS. If you like this video you may be interested to know we have a whole, in-depth series of cooking classes as part of our Breakthrough Weight Loss program. I recorded them all myself and I'm quite proud of them.
